Jackie Fargo – Wrestling Legend, Mentor To Jerry Lawler And Others Has Passed Away

He was a mentor to many future wrestlers including Jerry Lawler who said in a series of tweets this morning that without Jackie Fargo there would be no King Jerry Lawler.

Fargo was a legend in Memphis, one of the hottest and most successful territories in wrestling for decades. Before going to Memphis Fargo began his legend in the WWWF and also worked and held numerous titles for the National Wrestling Alliance including tag team championships with NWA World Heavyweight Champion and legendary grappler Lou Thesz.

Always one to “tell it like it is” Fargo was never shy about telling interviewers just how he felt about someone or about the business he was always proud to be part of. Considered no-nonsense in the ring as well as out Fargo was instrumental in giving “The King” Jerry Lawler his start in the Mid-South and was solidly behind Stan Lane and Steve Keirn when they formed as “The Fabulous Ones” and were over almost instantly by doing “The Fargo Strut” (with Jackie’s blessing) and having Fargo appear on camera to put the team over.

A native of North Carolina Fargo is another in a long line of former wrestler’s who never really left the business only in the case of Fargo he never kept going back to the business, the business kept going back to him for his wisdom, knowledge, experience, advice

WATCH jACKIE FARGO VS JERRY LAWLER

Sunday Music Showdown: AJ VS Kaitlyn

We’re starting a new series every Sunday. We’re taking 2 wrestling entrance themes and putting them to the ultimate test! This week it’s Kaitlyn vs AJ Lee ..

[poll id=”33″]

Inside Look At Stage Effects For Last Week’s NXT Tapings

The company which provided the stage  effects for the recent set of 4 television tapings has posted a promotion video that features testing of the stage effects. CLICK HERE to visit the company’s official website

Rick Flair’s Daughter Makes NXT Debut, Rick Attends Tapings

Rick Fair’s daughter Ashley Flair who wrestles under the name of “Charlotte” made her NXT debut during this week’s TV tapings which involve filming 4 episodes back-to-back. Rick Flair was in the audience for the tapings.

You can watch WWE NXT on HuLu Plus

Impact Segment of the Week: Who is next to join Sting in The Main Event Mafia?

Being that I’m a huge Sting mark, and this is my column, well I’m just gonna let the promo and then the video do all my talking for me. All I’m gonna say is that it’s great to see Sting on a mission – A Main Event Mafia mission.

Ed Boston

DTRT Wrestling News Co-Founder

 

Sting revealed last week that he was reforming a group known as the Main Event Mafia, which was once a powerhouse in TNA. This week the first member to join Sting is revealed.

Impact Results; June 20, 2013

Note: Our regular weekly Impact Results staff writer John was not available this week, so check back next week to see his normal TNA Results column. Parts of the following recap come from our friends at WrestlingInc.com.  You can read their in depth results by clicking on that link.

Bound For Glory

 

Impact starts with Sting walking, in a suit, into the arena from the parking lot, from earlier in the day. We go to a Bound for Glory Series video package. The tournament begins tonight.  It’s Open Fight Night. 10 of the 12 men who have qualified for the BFG Series are in the ring. Hogan comes out and individually introduces Bobby Roode and then Jeff Hardy.

Hardy gets to be the first to call someone for Open Fight Night, and after some posturing from a couple of the other wrestlers, Hardy chooses to call out Roode. A melee of all 12 superstars ensues, and what a start we have to Impact Wrestling. 

Open Fight Night / BFG Series: Mr. Anderson vs. Joseph Park

Winner of 7 points by pin: Mr. Anderson

Open Fight Night / BFG Series: Austin Aries vs. Jay Bradley

Winner of 7 points by pin: Austin Aries

Open Fight Night / BFG Series: Hernandez vs. Daniels

Winner of 7 points by pin: Daniels

Open Fight Night / BFG Series: Magnus vs. Kazarian

Winner of 10 points by submission: Magnus

Brooke Hogan comes to the ring and stands behind a podium. She praises the Knockouts but her mic sound is low. She says we are going to have a hot summer. She calls all the Knockouts to the ring for a State of the Knockouts. ODB and Eric Young lead the way. Mickie James comes out with her own personal introduction from Brooke. She comes out cutting a heel promo about the state of the division.
Brooke says this is not just about Mickie. Brooke turns her attention to Eric Young. She wants to know if he remembers what she told him last year. He comically says that, “Technically, [he’s] not a woman.” He hands over the TNA Knockouts Tag Titles. He says the good news is that it is National Kissing Day and he falls all over ODB. They leave.
Brooke says Velvet Sky is the heart of the division. Mickie interrupts and says that Velvet is hurt. Brooke says she spoke to Velvet’s doctor  and she is good to go so they will face-off next week. Gail Kim wants some attention and respect. Brooke praises Gail’s match with Taryn. She says Gail will get her rematch against Taryn in a Ladder Match in Las Vegas.
AJ grabs a mic and with the “mood” lights, he says this is not about TNA or Aces & 8’s, but about becoming the TNA World Champion. He says that after 11 years, TNA is no place for a hero. He is sick and tired of doing the right thing; he’s doing his own thing

BFG Series: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles

Time Limit Draw: 2 points each

Open Fight Night / BFG Series: Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode

Winner of 7 points by win: Jeff Hardy

Bully Ray is on his way to the ring.  Sting says the night is young.  Bully Ray enters the ring and talks about all the guys gunning for his title. He wants to call someone out but not to fight because he is a “lover not a fighter.” Brooke doesn’t show. He calls her again but the Main Event Mafia music plays and Sting walks out instead.
Sting, in his suit, enters the ring. He tells Bully that he knows a lone wolf can’t take Aces & 8’s so he went back to his family. Bully says he beat Sting and he can never become champion again. Sting says that doesn’t mean that he can’t get retribution on Bully. Sting begins to take off his suit. He gets stuck trying to take his tie off like Rocky did with his shirt all those years ago.
Bully calls out Aces & 8’s as Sting gets down to his t-shirt. They don’t show. Sting throws his shirt on Bully’s head and directs Bully’s attention to the screen. We see Aces & 8’s members laid out. Sting backs Bully up the ramp. Kurt Angle appears in a suit and puts Bully in the Ankle Lock as Bully taps with Sting in his face.
Standings after the first night of BFG matches.

Magnus (10 points)
Jeff Hardy (7 points)
Christopher Daniels (7 points)
Mr. Anderson (7 points)
Austin Aries (7 points)

Samoa Joe (2 points)
AJ Styles (2 points)
Bobby Roode (0 points)
Hernandez (0 points)
Jay Bradley (0 points)
Kazarian (0 points) 

Joseph Park (0 points)

Tonight Impact Wrestling (Almost) Live At The Peoria Civic Center In Peoria, Illinois.

Tonight Impact Wrestling will be airing on a one hour delay due to time zone differences. This will be normal when live broadcasts conflict with time zones, Here’s what to expect tonight.

The Bound For Glory Series officially kicks off and all 12 participants will be in action.

– Open Fight Night returns tonight, and either Jeff Hardy or Bobby Roode will get the first call-out to start the BFG Series.

– More on Sting bringing back The Main Event Mafia.

– TNA Knockouts executive Brooke Hogan will deliver a “State Of The Knockouts Division” address.

Beyond The Storyline: AJ Lee Wins The Diva’s Championship, Why All The Hype?

I won’t lie I’m fully aware that our site focuses a lot of it’s posts on female wrestlers. But that’s intentional because for a long time the WWE has seamed lost as to what to do with the diva’s division. So we have felt a responsibility to put the spotlight on the storylines that involve women wrestlers. It’s no secret that I myself have my favorites and to be fair I will mention both from WWE and TNA, AJ Lee and Mickie James.

This past Sunday I was very impressed to see the WWE giving pay-per-view airtime to a diva’s match at the Payback event. It’s become a rare thing to see a diva’s match at a WWE pay-per-view. The women wrestlers train just as hard as the superstars and it has frustrated me why in 2013 the diva’s / knockouts and so on still get less airtime? Impact Wrestling has taken great steps to feature it’s “knoclouts” regularly while the WWE continues to struggle with finding time for it’s diva’s.

I’ve shared with Ed on many occasions that Impact Wrestling only airs once a week while the WWE airs a three hour show on Monday night’s, a one hour show on Wednesday night’s and a 2 hour show on Friday’s and still features the diva’s very little while Impact seams to find time for a match almost every week. I’m sorry but there is no reason in my opinion to not give equal time to the female talent who train just as hard as their male counterparts.

When I look back at this past Sunday and the diva’s championship changing hands I am hopeful that this is just what the diva’s division needed. It goes beyond the persona of AJ Lee and speaks to what I hope will be a re-energized push for the WWE diva’s who I believe have been waiting long enough to be more then just a short match on Smackdown or Main Event. The backstage vignette’s are nice but they deserve equal time in the squared circle.

AJ Lee was the perfect choice to hold the diva’s championship (for now) as I believe her popularity and chemistry with Kaitlyn will provide the right combination needed to propel the division into a new era. AJ and Kaitlyn know each other so well and can deliver the perfect storyline needed at this current time. Their real-life friendship provides a solid back-story filled with realistic elements and can hold the fans attention throughout the summer at least.

AJ Lee winning the championship is also more about the WWE showing it’s confidence in her ability to carry the diva’s division. Her true to life underdog story provides the creative tools to build solid matches and bring an emotional elements necessary to push the storylines. AJ Lee has always wanted to be a WWE star and at the age of 12 she already knew exactly what she wanted to do, she is a lifelong fan who would manually write detailed show recaps and mail them to her older brother serving in the military every week. Her role models were Lita and Stephanie McMahon . One of the most moving videos I’ve seen regarding AJ Lee is this video from 2001 when she met Lita for the first time as a teenager. You know a lot has been said about AJ Lee over the years but honestly this video speaks volumes to me about why she deserves to be diva’s champion.

(PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO)

Is AJ Lee the most athletic diva on the current roster? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. But when it comes to who can bring new life to the diva’s division right now at this very moment I believe it is AJ Lee. I apologize if some of you feel I spend to much time talking about the diva’s or AJ Lee or the knockouts. Please try to see the bigger issue you here. It’s about bringing more fairness to those women who deserve to be called superstars. It’s really not about one person it’s much bigger then that. The best thing the WWE can do is continue to build upon the feud with Kaitlyn at least until the end of the summer.

P.S. Lita was my favorite diva during that time as well. We both grew up watching the same awesome era. See AJ and I are perfect for each other LOL J/K but I mean seriously Lita was doing some epic things in the ring!

Thanks for reading!

Trevor